The present invention relates to an improved enclosure and environment habitat for use by home hobbyists to maintain and confine small animals such as hamsters, gerbils and mice. Small animal enclosures have been known and used in both the home and laboratory setting for any years. See for example; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,791,346; 3,865,082; and 4,723,512. More particularly, the present invention provides a small animal environment with advantageous features which make it easier to maintain and more fun for the home hobbyist to keep these animals.
It is commonly known that home hobbyists enjoy the ability to connect an assortment of enclosure modules and accessories, such as exercise wheels and feeders, to a main enclosure unit. Such a feature provides the hobbyist with the ability to customize the animals home into interesting and aesthetically pleasing configurations. This feature also allows the animal to move more freely through an enlarged environment and to encounter a variety of challenges to enhance exercise and well being. Further, the ability to attach a plurality of enclosures together makes it easier to keep multiple animals in a comprehensive small animal environment. A problem arises with such a system when it is necessary to clean certain enclosure modules or accessories, or to confine different animals to separate areas of the small animal environment. The present invention while allowing for ease of combination of various habitat components also provides the ability to selectively close off or open any of the connections in order to segregate various parts of the animals environment without disassembling the component parts.
It is also known that since animals such as hamsters and gerbils are naturally tunneling animals it is beneficial to provide these habitats with tunnel like pathways and connections. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,961. The present invention, by utilizing a uniquely shaped tube and opening connection arrangement allows the home hobbyist to create more naturally configured tunnels, which are also more pleasing aesthetically, and more exciting for watching the animals roam and explore.
The present invention also allows for more living space for the animal. Due to the ease of attachment of accessories and the ability to close off each opening without detaching the accessories, all feeding and play additions may be placed outside of the living area allowing more utilizable space in the enclosure itself.